Paper roll slotting machine



y 1961 R. G. BIRR 2,983,200

PAPER ROLL SLOTTING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

May 9, 1961 R. G. BIRR PAPER ROLL SLOTTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 NINVENTOR. fiadog viz (25a 'rr; MflZQM/ffi Flled June 5 1957 May 9, 1961R. G. BIRR PAPER ROLL SLOTTING MACHINE INVENTOR. fiaaojp); 51m," BY M 5Sheets-Sheet 3 %L, M%% Q3151 QRN Filed June 5, 1957 May 9, 1961 R. G,BIRR PAPER ROLL SLOTTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 5, 1957United States Patent i PAPER ROLL SLO'ITING MACHINE Rudolph G. Birr,Lombard, Ill., assiguor,'by mesne assignments, to Steiner AmericanCorporation, Salt Lake City, Utah, a corporation of Nevada Filed June 5,1957, Ser. No. 663,787

1 Claim. 90-21) This invention relates to paper Working machinery andthe art of paper converting, and more particularly to a highly improvedmachine for slotting the ends of paper rolls.

In the paper making art the use of high speed paper making machines hasgreatly increased the ability of the industry to produce bulk paper ingreat volume at reduced costs, but many problems remain in economicallyconverting the large rolls at bulk paper to smaller rolls that can beused by the ultimate consumer. The problem is especially acute in suchhighly competitive fields, for example, as the production of absorbentpaper toweling where the large bulk rolls of paper must not only beconverted as cheaply as possible into small rolls, but where the ends ofthe small rolls in certain cases must further be provided withaccurately arranged and accurately shaped slots that will permit therolls ultimately to be properly received upon inexpensive wing-type rollsupport spindles in towel dispensing mechanisms.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide amachine for inexpensively, rapidly and accurately slotting thecorresponding ends of individual paper rolls, one after another, in sucha way that the shape and configuration of the corresponding slots, andtheir relative dispositions in the ends of successive rolls, will besubstantially identical, thus insuring that all of the individual rollsmay be properly received and supported in suitable dispensing mechanismsdesigned to handle rolls having that particular configuration of slots.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the characterjust stated that may be entirely automatic in its operation, therebyreducing to a minimum the cost of forming the slots in the ends of theindividual rolls. Yet another object of the invention is to provide amachine of the foregoing character having means by which the dispositionof the slots, relative to the axes of the rolls in which they are cut,may be selectively varied.

The machine of the present invention employs one or more circular saws,or the equivalent, for cutting the slots in the paper rolls, and afurther object of the invention is the provision of improved means foradvancing the paper rolls through the machine and for moving the rollsendwise, one by one, into cutting contact with the saws. Yet anotherobject of the invention is to provide in the machine means foraccurately guiding and orienting the ends of the rolls with respect tothe saw blades, and for firmly steadying the rolls without tending tocrush the same while the actual cutting is taking place, therebyinsuring that the disposition of the slots in successive rolls will beidentical for all practical purposes.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, taken with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is an elevational view of one end of a paper roll slottingmachine constructed in accordance with the invention, a portion of theview being shown in cross-section taken substantially along the line 11in Fig. 2;

Patented. May 9, 1961 Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the machinetaken substantially along the line 22 in Fig. 1 and showing a paper rolltherein in a predetermined position which it occupies prior to beingmoved axially into cutting contact with a pair of rotary saw blades, oneof the saw blades being shown in a raised position and the other beingshown in phantom in a lower position;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing thepaper roll in the position that it occupies after it has been advancedinto full cutting contact with the saw blades, the machine being shownin this view with its saw blades occupying co-axial lower positionslater to be described;

'Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the right hand end portion ofthe machine, as viewed in Fig. 2, taken substantially along the line 44in that figure, and again showing the roll of paper in the positionwhich it occupies immediately before its advancement axially intocutting contact with the saw blades;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken substantially along the line 5-5 in Fig.3, showing the roll of paper in the position that it occupies after ithas been advanced into cutting contact with the rotary saw blades;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional View taken substantially along the line 66in Fig. 4 to show the details of the mounting of the saw blades and toshow their relative offset positions when the machine is adjusted withthe axis of one blade above that of the other;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of one side of an indexing head and guideassembly for the paper roll, as viewed substantially along the line 7-7in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of a paper rollshowing one arrangement of slots that may be cut therein by the presentmachine, and showing a suitable spindle that may be employed forrotatably mounting that end of the roll in a dispensing device for thepaper;

Fig. '9 is a similar view of an end of another roll of paper,illustrating an alternate arrangement of slots that may be cut in theroll by the present machine, and showing a spindle that may be employedfor rotatably mounting that end of the roll; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the end of still anotherroll, showing a further variation in the disposition of slots that maybe cut by the present machine in the roll, and showing a spindle thatmay be employed in rotatably mounting that end of the roll in a paperdispensing mechanism.

The present embodiment of the machine comprises a base frame having fourupstanding legs 11, 12, 13 and 14 that may rest upon a floor or othersupporting surface. These legs may be formed of angle iron and arepreferably joined at their upper ends, as by welding or the like,

by cross members 15, 16, 17 and 18, the latter of which, like the legs,may comprise lengths of angle iron. The cross members form ahorizontally disposed rectangular frame upon the upper ends of the legsand this table-like frame supports the remaining elements of themachine.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that a base plate 19is fixed uponthe upper surface of the base frame. Secured to theunderside of the base plate, as by machine screws 20, there is a pair offorwardly projecting parallel frame members 21 and 22 that extendthrough suitably shaped openings 23 and 24 cut in the forwardhorizontally extending cross member 15. The outermost ends of the framemembers 21 and 22 are tied together by a cross-block 24 having a bearing26 therein which rotatably journals the outer end of a shaft 27. Theinner end of this shaft is similarly journalled in a bearing 28 providedin a cross-block 29 which extends laterally between, and is mountedupon, the forwardly extending frame members 21 and 22 adjacent theirinner ends, a slot 30 being provided in the base plate 19, asillustrated in Fig. 6, in order to accommodate the bearing 28 and itshousing. The shaft 27 has fixed thereon apaper roll receiving holder andimpeller assembly, designated generally by the numeral 30. This assemblycomprises two axially spaced apart spiders 3land 32 that are fixed'uponthe shaft and joined by a plurality of radially extending vanes 33 thatare equiangularly arranged, the peripheral portion of each of thespiders 31 and 32 being concave in shape between each of the vanes, asbest seen at 34in Fig. 1. As best seen in Figs. 1 and 4, the base plate19 may be cut out, as at 19a, and the forward cross member 15 of thebase frame may be interrupted as at 15a, in order that these elementswill not interfere with rotary movement of the roll receiving holder andimpeller assembly 30.

The shaft 27 withthe impeller assembly thereon is arranged to beintermittently rotated. An electric motor 35 (Fig. l). is provided forthis purpose, the motor being fixed upon a platform 36 mounted upon theupper ends of a plurality of posts 37 and 38 that are respectivelysupported and fixed at their lower ends upon the forwardly directedframe members 21 and 22. The drive shaft 39 of the motor 35 is connectedto one side of a speed reducing unit 40 through a flexible coupling 41,and the opposite side of the speed reducing unit is provided with adrive shaft 42 having a pulley 43 thereon that drives a larger pulley 44by means of a belt 45. The larger pulley 44 is fixed upon the outer endof a shaft 46 that is journalled in a pair of bearing blocks 47 mountedupon the underside of the platform 36. The opposite end of the shaft 46has a crank arm 48 fixed thereon, as by a key 49 (-Fig. 2). The outerend of the crank arm has a pin 50 thereon that is rotatably received ina collar 51 that has the upper end of a connecting link 52 pivotallysecured thereto. The lower end of the link is pivotally fastened toanother collar 53 that is rotatably journalled upon the shank of a pin54 that extends through the legs 55 and 56 of a forked arm 57 that isrotatably journalled upon the shaft 27 inwardly of the bearing 26. Thearrangement is such that when the motor 35 drives the shaft 46 throughthe medium of the speed reducing unit 40 and the pulleys 43 and 44, thecrank arm 48 is rotated and the connecting link 52 is thus reciprocatedup and down. Vertical reciprocation of this link causes the arm 57 to befreely pivoted in reciprocating angular motion upon the shaft 27, itbeing understood that the arm 57 is free to rotate about the lattershaft. The reciprocating angular movement of the arm 57 is transmittedto the shaft 27, and thus to the impeller 30, by means of a pawl andratchet assembly. The pawl 58 of this assembly is pivotally mounted uponthe pin 54 and is arranged, as best illustrated in Fig. 1, to cooperatewith a ratchet 59 that is fixed upon the shaft 27 immediately inwardlyof the bearing 26. Thus, upon each revolution of the shaft 46 the pawl58, which is spring-biased by a spring 58b toward the ratchet, isretracted or lowered sufficiently to cause its outer end 58av with anequal number of ratchet faces59a, so that during the latter half of eachrevolution of the shaft 46 the shaft 27 and the impeller assembly 30thereon are rotatably advanced substantially 72 degrees. During thisadvancing movement, one roll of paper 60, occupying the I position onthe impeller assembly illustrated in Fig. 1,.

is carried counterclockwise with the impeller and rolls therefrom onto adischarge table 61 which may direct that roll to a packing station, notillustrated. .During the discharge of the roll 60 from theimpeller'assembly,

a new roll 62 will be picked up by the succeeding set of vanes 33 of theimpeller assembly and will be carried upwardly in a counterclockwisedirection thereon to the predetermined position previouslyoccupied bythe roll 68, the new roll 62 and succeeding rolls being fed successivelyto the impeller by gravity by means of an inclined chute 63 that may besupported by a bracket 64 upon-the base plate 19 of the frame of thepresent machine.

The shaft 46 inwardly of the crank arm 48 has a large cam 65 fixedthereon which rotates with the shaft in the direction of the arrow 66(Fig. 2), the platform 7 36 being cut out, as at 36a, in order to avoidinterference of rectangular cross section that is slidably mounted inablock 71 fixed upon the underside of the platform 36. The forward endportion a of the push rod 70 may be cylindrical in shape and is slidablymounted in another block 72. mounted on the undersideof the platform 36and provided with a suitable bearing 72a. The forward extremity of thepush rod has a downwardly extending retraction plate 73 fixed thereon asby a collar 74 and a nut 75 received upon threads formed .on theoutermost end of-the cylindrical portion 76a of the push rod, theretraction plate being connected by means of a tie rod 76 to adownwardly extending advancing plate 77 carried by the rectangularportion of the'push rod 70. The tie rod 76 slidably extends through asuitable opening 72b inthe block 72 and serves not only to tie the twoplates 73 and 77 together, but also to prevent any tendency for theretracting plate 73 to rotate about the axis of the cylindrical portion76a of the push rod 70.

The downwardly extending retraction plate 73 and the advancing plate 77are disposed directly above the axis of the impeller shaft 27 and arespaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the length of the paperrolls that are fed to the machine, the disposition of the plates 73-a11d77 being such that when the push rod 7! is reciprocated, the plates willengage the opposite ends of any roll in the position of the roll 60 andwill cause that roll to'slide in reciprocating axial motion on theimpeller assembly 30. Thus, referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will beobserved that during the first part of a revolution of the. cam shaft46, the push rod 70 with the plates 73 and 77 thereon are moved by thecam 65 to the right (as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3), the plate 77contacting one end of the roll 60 and advancing that roll in the samedirection. During this movement the roll 60 slides across the concavesurfaces 34 of the two spiders 31 and 32 of the impeller assembly andalso along the two supporting vanes 33, the roll thereby being advancedfrom theposition thereof shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig.3. The forward end 60b of the roll 61) during this advancing movement isbrought into cutting or slotting contact with a pair of circular sawblades 78 and 79 which will be described in greater detail hereinafter.Having been advanced to the position shown in Fig. 3 and having been cutby the saw blades '78 and 79 to form a pair of slots in the end of theroll, the roll 60 is immediately returned to its original position shownin Fig. 2. This returning movement isaccomplished by the fact that thecam follower 69 leavm the cam face 67 and thereupon follows the shortercam face 68, thereby permitting a relatively strong tension spring 80 toreturn the push rod 70 from the position illustrated in Fig. 3 to itsoriginal position shown in Fig. 2. During this returning movement of thepush-rod 70, the retraction plate 73' contacts the end 6041 of the roll60 and slides the roll on the impeller assembly 30 back toits originalposition'thereon. By the time this movement has been accomplished, thecrank arm 48 will have reached its lowermost, position and will beginits upward travel,

thereby causing the pawl-58- to engage one oftheratchet B b e surfaces59a of the ratchet 59. During the remaining portion of the rotation ofthe cam shaft 46, the impeller is rotatably advanced in the direction ofthe arrow 81 in Fig. 1, thereby discharging the roll 60 from theimpeller and onto the table 61, and causing the fresh roll 62 to bepicked up by the impeller and raised to the predetermined positionpreviously occupied by the roll 60. The tension spring 80, it will beobserved, may be anchored at one of its ends to a pin 81 that is fixedto the block 71 and may be fastened at its opposite end to a pin 82 thatis secured to the retraction plate 73, it-

being understood that the spring causes the cam follower 69 to remain inconstant contact with the cam faces of the cam 65.

As previously indicated, fresh rolls of paper represented by the roll 62in the drawings, are fed successively by gravity toward the impellerassembly 30 in the inclined chute 63. It will be observed, however, thatthe fresh rolls are admitted to the impeller only at the proper time tobe raised by the impeller to the predetermined position occupied by theroll 60 in Fig. 1. To this end a stop arm 83 is provided, one end of thearm being pivotally mounted at 84 upon the underside of the platform 36.The underside of the arm 83 is provided with a bracket 85 which carriesa roller 86 adapted to ride upon a cam surface 87 that is fixed upon theside of the push rod 70, the cam surface being so located and so shapedthat during the returning movement of the push rod from its advancedposition (Fig. 3) to its retracted position (Fig. 2), the roller 86 andthe arm 83 are lifted to the broken line position thereof shown in Fig.2 to permit one of the fresh rolls, represented by the roll 62, to passunder the arm and roll into contact with the impeller assembly 30. Theouter end of the arm 83 is preferably provided with a roller 88. At alltimes when the push rod 70 is out of its retracted position (Fig. 2),the arm 83 is retained by gravity in the position shown in Fig. 1 by thesolid lines, in which position the roller 88 is in contact with theleading one of the fresh rolls of paper and acts as a stop to preventthat roll of paper and subsequent rolls from rolling downwardly intocontact with the impeller assembly.

The saw blade 78, previously mentioned is mounted upon the outer end ofa spindle 90 that is rotatably journolled in a bearing block 91 anddriven by a pulley 92 by means of a belt 93 and another pulley 94carried upon the shaft of an electric motor 95. The bearing block 91forms a part of a casting, designated generally by the numeral 96, whichhas an arm 97 integrally formed thereon and projecting diagonallyupwardly. A motor mounting plate 98 is secured by a pin upon the upperend of the arm and the plate 98, in turn, has the motor secured theretoin any suitable fashion. The rotary saw blade 79 is similarly securedupon the outer end of a spindle 100 that is journalled in a bearingblock 101 that is a part of a casting 102 substantially identical to thecasting 96. The casting 102 has an arm 103 integrally formed thereon andextending diagonally upwardly (Fig. 2). At the upper end of the arm amotor mounting plate 104 is mounted thereon, as by a pin 105, and theplate 104 carries an electric motor 106. This motor has a pulley 107 onits shaft, and the pulley 107 drives a similar pulley 108 by means of abelt 109, the pulley 108 being afiixed upon the outer end of the spindle100 so that the motor 106 drives the saw blade 79.

As perhaps best seen in Figs. 2 and 3 the casting 102 is mounted bymeans of a heavy bolt 110 upon a block 111 that is fixed in any suitablemanner upon a forwardly projecting arm 112 of an L-shaped bracket 113.The other leg 114 of this L-shaped bracket extends upwardly and ispivotally mounted by means of a pin 115 between a pair of ears 116formed upon an upstanding block 117 adjacent its rear edge. The bracket113 is thus arranged to be pivotally raised or lowered, as illustratedin Figs. 2 and 3 respectively, in order to raise or lower the positionof the axis of the rotary saw blade 79. In its lowered position, the leg112 of the L-shaped bracket 113 rests flat against the upper surface ofthe base plate 19 (Fig. 3) and may be secured in that position by a bolt118 which may be threaded into a suitable opening in the base plate. Inits raised position, on the other hand, a pair of blocks 119 arepreferably placed under the outer extremity of the leg 112 of thebracket on opposite sides of the bolt 118 to support the bracketin itselevated position, the bolt 118 passing downwardly between the twoblocks 119 and being threaded into the same opening in the base plate 19that is used when the L-shaped bracket 113 is in its lowered position.

The mounting of the casting 96, which supports the saw blade 78 and itsspindle 90, is identical to the mounting of the casting 102 justdescribed. The casting 96 is secured by means of a bolt 120 upon a block121 that is fixed upon a forwardly projecting leg 122 of anotherL-shaped bracket 123 that is identical to the corresponding bracket 113and which is pivotally mounted in the same fashion as the latterbracket, the L-shaped bracket 123 thus being capable of being pivotallyraised and lowered in order to accomplish selective raising and loweringof the axis of the saw blade 78. The L-shaped bracket 123 in Fig. 6 isshown in its elevated position with a pair of blocks 124 placed underthe forward end of its leg 122, the bracket 123 being secured in thisposition by means of a bolt 125 that is passed downwardly through asuitable opening in the leg 122 and is threaded into the base plate 19.By removing the blocks 24, the under-surface of the bracket 123 may becaused to lie fiush upon the upper surface of the base plate 19 and thebracket may be secured in that position by the bolt 125, thus loweringthe circular saw blade 78 to a position coaxial with the position of thecircular saw blade 79 in Fig. 6.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the mounting of the twosaw blades 78 and 79 is such that they may be respectively andselectively raised and lowered with respect to the base plate 19 of theframe of the present machine, and thus with respect to the axis of thepaper roll that is supported by the impeller assembly 30 and movedaxially toward and away from the saw blades for slotting.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show the corresponding ends of three representativepaper rolls 126, 127 and 128 that have been slotted by the blades 78 and79 of the present machine when the blades are in ditferent selectedpositions. The roll 126 (Fig. 8) has a pair of slots 129 and 130 thathave been cut therein when the blade 78 is in its raised position andwhen the blade 79 is in its lowered position, as illustrated in Fig. 6,it being understood that the blade 78 will have cut the slot 130 and theblade 79 will have cut the slot 129. Inasmuch as the blades are spacedapart, the two slots 129 and 130 are offset with respect to the axis ofthe roll 126 and their radial centers are also offset. When slotting ofthe arrangement shown in Fig. 8 is used, the end of the roll 126 may bepivotally supported in a suitable dispensing cabinet or the likeprovided with a very inexpensive, rotatably mounted wing-type spindle131 comprising a fiat plate 132 having ears 133 and 134 formed thereoncorresponding or complementary to the shape and disposition of the slots129 and 130, respectively. When the roll 126 is mounted upon the spindle131, the car 133 fits into the slot 129 so that the curved outer edge133a of the ear engages the arcuate bottom 129a of the slot 129.Similarly, the curved outer edge 134a of the ear 134 wil1 engage thearcuate bottom 13011 of the slot 130 and, thus, will support theillustrated end of the roll 126 for rotation about the axis ofpivotation of the spindle 131.

The arrangement of the slots in the representative roll 127, shown inFig. 9, is an arrangement that may be cut in the end of the roll whenthe saw blade 78 is in its lowered position and when the saw blade 79 isin its raised position. Thus,'the saw blade 78' will cut an armate slotin the end of the roll and the other saw blade will cut a slot 136therein, each slot being offset withrespect to the axis of the roll andwith respect to each other. When a roll is slotted in this manner, theslotted end thereof may be rotatably supported on a rotatably mountedspindle 137 having an ear 138 formed thereon, the outer curved edge 138athereof being complementary to the shape of the arcuate bottom 135a ofthe slot 135. The spindle 137 also has another ear 139 formed thereonadapted to be received within the slot .136, the arcuate outer surface139a of the ear 139 being adapted to come into supporting contact withthe arcuate bottom 136a of the slot 136.

When a symmetrical configuration of slots is used such as thoseillustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, it will be observed that the respectivecores 140 and 141 of the rolls in fact play no part in the actualsupport of the ends of the rolls, the entire vertical support beingprovided by the engagement of the ears of the spindles with thearcuately curved slots, thereby making it unnecessary for the rolls tobe provided with cores except as may be needed during the originalwinding or formation of the rolls. Furthermore, it Will be 'seen thatthe wing-type spindles 131 and 137, in .addition to supporting the rollsof paper, will also serve as a means for rotatably driving the rollswhen such drive is desired or, conversely, the withdrawal of paper fromthe rolls will drive the spindles for any purpose that may be desired.

Fig. 10 shows a roll 28 having an end that has been slotted when both ofthe rotary saw blades 78 and 79 have been co-axially arranged, that is,when both of the blades have been arranged in their lower positions orin their upper positions. Assuming that the blades have both beenarranged in their lower positions during the slotting, the blade 78 willhave formed a slot 142 in the end of the roll and the other blade willhave formed a slot 143 therein. When this arrangement of slots isemployed, a rotary mounted spindle 144 may be employed for rotatablysupporting the slotted end of the roll in a suitable dispensing cabinet.This spindle is provided with a pair of ears 145 and 146 that arerespectively adapted to be received in the slots 143 and 142, with thearcuate outer edges of the ears engaging the arcuate bottoms of theslots. The spindle 144 may also be provided with a lug 147 that engagesthe inner surface of a core 148 of the roll, thereby providing completesupport for the roll during the dispensing of paper therefrom.

In order to insure that each paper roll is properly oriented or centeredwith respect to the saw blades 78 and 79 during the advancement of theroll toward the saw blades and properly steadied during the slottingthereof, an orientinghead or pilot is provided which receives and guidesthe roll axially immediately before and during the slotting operation.The orienting head or pilot assembly'includes an upstanding bracket 150secured upon the base plate 19 to the rear of the saw blades by means ofone or more bolts 151. The upwardly extending bracket has a cylindricalopening 152 (Fig. 7) therein which slidably receives a cylindrical plug153'. On the forward end of this plug there is formed a verticallyextending plate 154 that is intimately disposed between the two sawblades 78 and 79, but slightly spaced therefrom, as perhaps best seen inFig. 6, and on the forward edge of the plate 154 there is formed acone-shaped orienting head or pilot 155. It will be observed that thecylindrical base portion 155a of this cone-shaped orienting head has adiameter only slightly less than the inner diameter of the core or axialopening in the rolls, and the base is of a size such that it, in effect,intersects the planes of the two saw blades as shown in Fig. 6. That is,the saw blades,'in.efiect, are located in recesses behind the orient- 8ing head or pilot 155; The orienting head assembly, which includes theplate 154 and the plug 153, may be held in fixed position with respectto the bracket 150 by means of a set screw 156 which may be threadeddownwardly through the top of the bracket 15%! and into engagement withthe cylindrical plug 153 of the orienting head. It will be observed thatthe arrangement of the orienting head is such that it does not interferewith the saw blades 78 and 79 or with their selective adjustment betweentheir upper and lower positions. In order to provide accuratepositioning of the plate 154 of the indexing head with respect to theplanes of the saws, however, a leader pin 157 (Fig. 7) may be providedon the rear of the plate 154 below the plug 153, this leader pin beingadapted to be slidably received in an opening 158 provided in thebracket 150.

A slidably mounted spring-loaded shield or cap 159 is mounted on theindexing head bracket 150 in such a was as to cover the saw blades 78and 79 at all times when the lades are not contacted by a paper roll,thereby making the machine safer for workmen who may be around themachine in the course of their duties. The shield comprises a top panel16! which rests on the flat top surface of the bracket 15d and alsoincludes side panels 161 and 162 that are integrally joined by a rearpanel 163, the side and rear panels being fabricated, if desired, from asingle sheet of metal that may be welded or otherwise secured todownwardly turned flanges 160a formed on the lateral edges of the toppanel 160. The space between the side panels 161 and 162 is such thatthe guard assembly is in the nature of a sheet metal cap resting uponthe top of the bracket 156 and capable of rearward sliding movementthereon to expose the blades 73 and 79, and returning forward slidingmovement to cover the blades. in Fig. 7, the guard assembly is shown inits forward, blade covering position. The rear panel 163 of the guardassembly is provided with a pair of openings that are slidably receivedupon a pair of studs in; that are threaded into the rear side of thebracket 15%. Each of the studs 164 has a compression spring 165 thereon,one end of the spring bearing against the head of the stud and hearingat its other end against the back surface of the rear panel 163. Thus,it will be understood that the guard assembly 159 is biased by thecompression springs 165 toward the blade covering position illustratedin Fig. 7 and in Fig. 4. The side panels 151 and 1&2 are provided ontheir forward edges with inturned tabs 166 that are adapted tobe-contacted by the forward end of each roll of paper as that roll isadvanced toward the saw blades by the push rod 7% and its advancingplate 77. Movement of each roll toward the saw blades thus pushes theguard assembly rearwardly so as automatically to expose the saw bladesas the paper roll advances into contact with the blades, the force ofthe springs 165 automatically returning the guard assembly to itsoriginal blade covering position as the roll of paper is retracted fromthe saw blades after the slotting has been accomplished. The compressionof the springs 165, it will be observed also assists the tension springttland the roll retracting arm 73 of the push rod 79, in disengagingeach roll of paper from the saw blades '78 and 79 after the slotting ofthe roll has been accomplished.

In the present machine, the rotary saw blades 78 and 79 are spaced aparton parallel axes that are normal to the axis of the drive shaft 27 and,thus, normal to the axis of the roll of paper that is in position on theimpeller 39 and ready to be slotted. The space between the saw blades isless than the diameter of the axial opening that extends through eachroll from end to end, and the diameter of each blade is such thatparallel offset slots may be cut in the ends of the rolls withoutcausing either of the slots to extend from one side to the other of theaxial opening in the roll.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that the rollsofpaper .to'be slotted are intermittently and successively advanced alonga path through the present machine entirely automatically, each rollsuccessively being picked up by the impeller assembly 30 and movedthereby to a predetermined position wherein the projected axis of thepositioned roll is substantially co-axial with the indexing head orpilot 155, and intermediate and equidistant from the planes of the twosaw blades. This controlled movement of the impeller is automaticallyaccomplished by the rachet 59 and the pawl 58 previously described, anda brake may be employed on the shaft 27 of the impeller to preventover-run. To this end, the outermost end of the shaft has a brake drum170 fixed thereon (Fig. l), which is engaged on opposite sides by a pairof upstanding brake shoes 171, the lower ends of which may be pivotallymounted upon a stud 172 threaded into the cross-block 25. The upper endsof the brake shoes may be adjustably secured together by a bolt 173 in awell known manner such that adjustment of the bolt 173 will selectivelyvary the braking action of the shoes upon the drum 176. This simple andinexpensive braking arrangement prevents over-run of the impellerassembly 30 and helps insure that the positioned roll of paper on theimpeller will be in proper alignment with the pilot 155 and ready to bemoved axially from its predetermined position on the impeller toward thesaw blades by the reciprocating push rod and its advancing andretracting plates 77 and 73.

As explained above, when the impeller 30 has deposited or carried thepaper roll thereon to its predetermined position in axial alignment withthe pilot 155, the reciprocating push rod 70 and the plate 77 thereonslides the roll axially on the impeller toward the saw blades forslotting. The axial opening of the roll is slidably received, duringthis movement, upon the pilot 155 which accurately orients the roll withrespect to the blades and guides and steadies the end of the roll duringthe actual cutting of the slots therein, thus insuring that thedisposition of the slots in successive rolls will be identical. Thisguiding and supporting function of the pilot 155 is accomplished withoutany tendency whatever for the roll to be crushed, due to the factthatthe supporting contact with the roll is made by the pilot at thecenter of the roll rather than upon the peripheral surface of the roll.The absence of crushing of the roll contributes to the accuracy andidentity of the disposition of the slots as between successive rolls.When the slotting has been accomplished, the roll is automaticallywithdrawn from the saw blades and from the pilot by the returningreciprocation of the push rod 7%), thereby returning the newly slottedroll to its original location on the impeller 30 and to the originalpath of the roll through the machine, whereupon afurther rotation of theimpeller will take place to discharge the roll from the machine and topick up the next succeeding roll for slotting, as previously explained.

The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention has been given for clearness of understanding only, and nounnecessary limitations are intended thereby, for it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that numerous variations, changes andmodifications may be made in the machine Without departing from the truespirit and scope of the appended claim which defines the invention.

I claim:

A machine for forming slots in the end of a substantially cylindricalroll of paper having an opening therein extending longitudinallytherethrough, comprising a base, first mounting means on said base andadjustable vertically with respect thereto, a first saw blade rotatablymounted upon said first mounting means and having a diameter less thanthat of the roll, second mounting means on said base and adjustablevertically with respect thereto, a second saw blade rotatably mountedupon said second mounting means and having a diameter less than that ofthe roll, said saw blades being rotatable in planes substantiallyparallel to each other spaced apart a distance less than the diameter ofthe openings in the roll and being individually and independentlyadjustable with respect to said base and each other, power means forrotating said saw blades, means for moving a roll in a directionsubstantially parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof and parallel tothe planes of rotation of said saw blades with the opening in the rollin general alignment with said saw blades, whereby to cut a pair ofspaced apart slots in the end of the roll disposed toward said sawblades with the slots extending outwardly from the opening through theroll, a movable guard mounted on said base and shiftable between a firstposition to cover the saw blades and a second position exposing said sawblades, means biasing said guard toward said first position, and mean-son said guard adapted to engage the adjacent end of the roll to urgesaid guard to said second position as the roll is moved toward said sawblades.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSMacCordy Sept. 19, 1905 Germany Sept. 14, 19 32

